Wait for It
by JHLZ.NTL
Summary: Zuko and Mai take in a ward to raise alongside their daughter. After a rocky beginning, the two children's shared curiosity leads them on various sometimes perilous adventures as they explore their world.
1. The Boy Who Ran

**Chapter 1: The Boy Who Ran**

 ** **119AG****

* * *

 **Fire Nation Royal Palace**

As soon as Zuko and Mai received that letter from Gaoling, Zuko personally collected five of his best men and summoned the family healer, Akira, to help him find the child.

"You got Izumi?" Zuko asked his wife and Fire Lady.

"Of course," Mai replied, kissing her husband in their private quarters while balancing their young daughter of four years and eight months on her hip.

"Father, where are you going?" Izumi asked quietly.

Zuko cupped her cheek and kissed her soft, pale young forehead. "To find the son of a very good friend of mine, my love."

"Why?" Izumi asked.

"Because he is barely older than you and will otherwise be all alone in our country," Zuko replied.

"But why didn't your friend come with him?"

"She didn't know. He ran away, Izumi."

"Why?"

Zuko sighed. "We'll explain it in more detail when you're older, sweetie."

"But why do I have to wait?"

"Okay, that's enough questions for the night, Love. Come on, story time." Mai said placing her free hand on the side of the girl's cheek, pressing the child's face against her chest and under her chin.

"Be careful, Zuko… with him," Mai asked.

"Of course," Zuko replied, already halfway out the door.

* * *

 **Fire Nation Capital Main Passenger Harbor**

The next morning, the steamer from Chin City pulled into the Capital Harbor. Zuko waited anxiously, his guards and his healer Akira by his side. Checkpoints had been set up and customs warned of a tiny stowaway. All bags and cargo being unloaded were checked for life before being allowed to enter the city.

"My lord," Akira said, pointing at the bow of the ship. A tiny boy stood on the railing looking at the 20 foot gap of water between the ship and the main coastal road of the port of the city, preparing himself to jump.

"Move! Step aside please!" Zuko said fighting through the crowds.

Akira also ran, not to the road but right to the water. The boy noticed the commotion and jumped. Akira bent a stream of water grabbing him before he landed on the road. It started steaming, then exploded, spraying everything within a forty foot range. The boy landed on the sidewalk and ran.

"Wait!" Zuko yelled.

"Is that… the Fire Lord?" Someone commented as Zuko's hood fell off his face. The boy crossed the busy road, sliding underneath carriages and jumping over carts with short little bursts of uncontrolled flames.

Zuko had to give it to him: he was very good at losing a trail. Clearly he took after her mother in her Blind-Bandit phase.

"Find him!" Zuko ordered his undercover guards before ducking into the back door of an establishment for a change of costume and new hat to hide his scar.

"He is already bending," Akira commented.

"He is powerful, and strong," a breathless guard said with his hands on his knees, panting. Zuko also huffed.

"Why is that not at all surprising? His mother is Toph Beifong of Gaoling," Zuko replied sweeping his loose hair out of his face.

"My Lord!" someone called.

"We've cornered him!" another guard called. Zuko and Akira ran forth.

"What's the meaning of this?! I haven't stolen anything!" the boy yelled defensively.

"Don't play street-rat coy, Masaru. We're here to help you," Zuko said bending down to the boy's level.

Masaru gasped. "How do you know my name?"

Zuko lowered his hood revealing his identifying scar on his face. "Do you know who I am?"

"Fire Lord Zuko!"

"Yes. As Fire Lord, I make it my business to know who is entering my country. And as an uncle, I make it a priority to help out family where I can," Zuko said offering his hand. "I heard a little firebending nephew of mine was in dire need of a teacher-I can help you there."

"YOU will teach me?" Masaru gasped.

"I am afraid I do not have the time to train you every day, but we can still meet weekly. MY uncle, on the other hand, has graciously offered his wisdom to you if you are interested in listening. He tells me his arms have tired of pouring tea for others, and wishes to take on an apprentice at his shop here in exchange for firebending lessons," Zuko explained.

Masaru's striking amber eyes lit up against his pale skin and he smiled. "The Dragon of the West? Iroh of the Fire Nation? You're joking!"

"A Fire Lord has no use for humor in his official capacity, Masaru. Now, do we have an agreement?"

Masaru nodded.

"In the Fire Nation, we bow, like so," Zuko said as he demonstrated the hand position, Masaru swiftly copying.

"Good. Now, do you have a place to stay while you're here?"

Masaru shook his head. "I figured as much, I guess you'll have to come back to the palace with me."

Masaru looked up in shock. Akira giggled.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Masaru asked as he walked alongside the scarred man.

"Yes, Masaru?"

"Why are you taking such an interest in me? You called me your nephew, and I have never even met you. My mother had no brothers or sisters and my father was disowned by his family..."

"Did your mother ever tell you about me?"

"She never tells me much about anything. She is always tired when she returns in the evening." Masaru replied sadly.

"Well, then your father?"

"Only that you're the Fire Lord."

"Well, Masaru… Your mother was once one of my best friends. We along with Avatar Aang, Master Waterbender Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, Swordmaster Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, and Master Suki of Kyoshi Island worked together to end the hundred year war, and restore peace and balance to the world nearly 20 years ago," Zuko replied.

Masaru furrowed his little brows. "Why did you stop working together?"

"Toph Beifong founded the police force in Republic City after Avatar Aang and I established the metropolis as the new capital of the former colonies of the Fire Nation. Her place was there, and mine was here, ruling my nation. We just became…busy, I suppose."

"Why would she want to be police? She hates guards and almost all authorities," Masaru mused. "Besides, why would you even get busy? Can't you just tell some others to take over for a day? If you're an all-powerful being…"

Zuko chuckled. "The world is not so simple, Masaru."

"But why can't it be?" Masaru asked seriously.

Zuko looked to Akira for help. "He is a very inquisitive lad isn't he?" Akira asked with a warm smile.

"What does inquisitive mean?" Masaru asked.

"It means 'curious'," Akira answered.

"Is that all? Why not just use the word curious?" Masaru posed.

"For variety," Akira replied.

"You remind me a lot of my daughter. She too has this insatiable thirst for knowledge and understanding for some things she is not yet ready to know."

"And who is to decide when one is ready and not ready to know something?" Masaru asked.

Zuko laughed again. "You'll understand when you're older."

Masaru rolled his eyes and sighed as they climbed into a carriage with Akira.

"This is Akira. She is our family's live-in healer. We brought her just in case you were injured or afraid…"

"I am Masaru Lee and I am not afraid of anything! Fear is inessential. It is only respect of potential danger that is worth acknowledging!" Masaru recited poetically.

"And who taught you such big words and told you such a philosophical thing?"

"My father… He liked to describe himself as a humble mechanist, but I've also heard him called an 'engineer' and 'intellectual'," Masaru answered enthusiastically. "but I am not quite sure what those mean and didn't get a chance to ask… before… leaving…" Masaru added, saddening as he thought of his father.

"Come sit by me, Masaru," Zuko said, pulling the five year old boy off the seat across from him and onto his lap.

"Do you think I hurt them, leaving?" Masaru asked.

 _Yes_ , Zuko would have said if he were being honest, but he knew that would have helped nobody. "Your parents want, above all, for you to be happy, Masaru. If that can be achieved by allowing you to train your element in our great nation then they will be happy to consent. You are their entire world, Masaru." Zuko answered, dancing around the boy's explicit question.

Masaru pouted the entire rest of the carriage ride and asked no more questions. Zuko held onto him tightly, worried as to how he was going to explain this to the boy's mother.

"We're here," a uniformed Imperial Guard said, opening the door of the carriage.

Zuko got out first, then helped Akira down and then Masaru, lifting him up in the air, rousing a giggle out of the boy.

"My Lord, you're back! Shall I fetch the Lady and the Princess?" A palace messenger asked Zuko.

"There is no need. Where are they right now? We will go to them!"

"On their way to lunch, my lord," the messenger answered.

"See that two more places are set by the time I arrive," Zuko ordered. He turned to Masaru. "You must be hungry after such a long journey over the often turbulent seas."

"It's alright. Some of the crew onboard said the route to the Fire Nation is NOTHING like the one to the South Pole," Masaru explained. "Ships go MISSING on that route!"

Zuko smiled. He was going to enjoy having this little lad around.

* * *

 **I am not sure if I would classify these as drabbles or one coherent story. They're all just... glimpses into peculiar lives of my favorite little Fire Babies. I will try to write and post them in order, but ideas come randomly. Please, if you have time, let me know what you think of each chapter since they'll be often, shorts.**


	2. Introductions

**Chapter 2: Introductions**

 **119AG**

* * *

 **Fire Nation Royal Palace, A Meal Room**

"Izumi, come here. Let me fix your hair. We are going to meet someone new today," Mai called her daughter over after the messenger relayed the information that the Fire Lord had returned after a successful search.

"Who?" Izumi asked just as the door opened revealing Zuko and Masaru.

Izumi shrieked a little and jumped behind her mother's skirts as the parents laughed. Masaru hid too, simply and instinctively mirroring her reaction, wondering what exactly she was afraid of, but thinking whatever it was must be something worth being afraid of, so he thought he'd hide too.

"Zumiya, don't be scared. It's just a boy," Mai said with a soft hand on her daughter's tiny back.

"Me? She's afraid of me?" Masaru asked, scrunching up his face momentarily in unmasked bewilderment. He stepped out from behind Zuko's leg while the girl, Zumiya, still clutched onto her mother's leg.

"Izumi, please come out and say hello. This is Masaru Lee. He is the only child and son of Toph Beifong and Satoru Lee. Do you remember who they are?"

"Toph Beifong is the sole inventor of the martial art of metalbending. She was born in Gaoling and is the current chief of Police of Republic City." Izumi recited dutifully.

"And Satoru Lee?"

"CEO and co-owner of Earthen Fire Refineries. He invented the fork-lift and the assembly line, and he revolutionized our airships-"

"-he IS revolutionizing our air ships, but nobody is supposed to know that yet, little missy," Mai corrected her daughter, touching her little button nose as she eyed Masaru suspiciously.

Masaru turned to Zuko. _Is somebody going to quiz me next on useless trivia? Am I supposed to do something? Why can't we just eat?_ Thought the five year old child impatiently. He remembered Zuko being the Fire Lord and then took a knee, staring directly at Izumi.

"Forgive me for asking miss, but is it true what they say about you?" Masaru asked.

Izumi's brows furrowed, her nose lifted and her mouth curled into a suspicious frown. "Is what true?"

"That you're a princess?"

Izumi looked up at her mother with confusion. Zuko and Mai purposefully never called her Princess Izumi, hoping to instill a sense of humility in the girl from an early age so that she didn't grow up to be arrogant and demanding like the former Princess of the Fire Nation, Azula. To Izumi, Princesses were just other things in fairy tales and histories.

When the gave no response, Izumi turned back to Masaru and told him all she knew. "But- I'm just Izumi." she insisted innocently.

Masaru turned to Zuko, clearly not believing her. "Well, Just-Izumi, it is very nice to meet you. I am Lee, Masaru Lee... but you already knew that since.. Your father already… introduced me..." Masaru said standing again and bowing before walking back to Zuko.

"Lee is such a common name in the Fire Nation, and yet you introduce yourself like a nobleman," Izumi replied subconsciously before covering her mouth for speaking impolitely.

"Well maybe I am just proud of my particular branch of Lees… Is that a crime?" Masaru asked feigning annoyance.

"No, I just-" Izumi started to say before her child's mind produced nothing.

"I'm only playing with you!" Masaru said with a smile. Izumi didn't trust him. "You're shy aren't you?" Masaru asked leaning to the side with both hands clasped behind his back.

"She just needs a little encouragement, that's all," Zuko said, looking at Mai.

"Go on, Izumi. Masaru will be staying with us for a while to learn firebending from your Great Uncle Iroh, so might as well make friends with him. He won't hurt you."

"You can already firebend?" Izumi gasped letting go of her mother's skirts immediately. "Can I see?!"

"You can't yet?" Masaru asked. Izumi shook her head. "Alright, I'll show you, but I am not very good at it! I've only done it twice!" Masaru said pressing his hands together and sliding his foot back dramatically before opening them like the pages of a book revealing a tiny, candle-sized, red flame.

"That's it?" Izumi asked, disappointed looking up at him with turned down brows.

"Well sorry!" Masaru shot back at her, folding his arms over his chest. "If I let it get any bigger, I am afraid I will lose control and then you will end up looking like your dear father with how closely you were watching!"

Izumi's face scrunched up in anger and she jumped on him screaming and punching with feeble little fists. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK! TAKE IT BACK!" Izumi screamed.

"Zumi!" Mai scolded prying her daughter off of the boy by her tiny waist, holding her there, hanging in the air until she calmed down.

"Saru!" Zuko said helping Masaru to his feet again.

"Zumi, make friends not enemies." Mai reminded her.

"He meant to insult me!"

"And you let him. I wear my scar like a badge of honor. It is a testament to what I have overcome on my journey to where I am today. If Saru did scar you accidentally after letting his flame get too big, I would hope you'd do the same. Curiosity is not a sin, Izumi. In fact, it is a very beneficial trait that will help you become an incredibly intelligent woman someday." Zuko explained.

Izumi frowned as she dangled from her mother's arms. Mai slowly set her daughter back down on her feet again.

"You can trust the boy, Izumi," Mai reminded the girl quietly.

Izumi closed her eyes took a deep breath and her frown went away as she looked at Masaru curiously. Then suddenly, she asked, "Do you like raspberry pastries?"

Masaru blinked a few times to make sure he heard that correctly.

"Raspberry pastries? I've never even heard of those before. I know blue pineapple berry pastries, but what are raspberries?"

"You don't know? In that case, I MUST introduce you!" Izumi gasped and grabbed his hand before running out the door, dragging him behind her.

"But what about lunch?" Masaru yelled.

"You can eat the pastries! Mother does say they're filling!" Izumi replied.

"But that's not healthy!" Masaru protested still allowing himself to be lead through the palace by the little lady.

* * *

 ** _Just raspberry...?_ **

**Inspired by Earth King Kuei's pet bear...  
**

 **{"You mean, platypus bear?**

 **No, it just says 'bear'.**

 **Certainly you mean his pet skunk bear.**

 **Or his armadillo bear.**

 **Gopher bear?**

 **Just ... bear.**

 **This place ... is weird." - S02E014 The City of Walls and Secrets}  
**

 **If you have time, let me know what you think of the introduction of these little babies to each other! I hope you have fun reading these. (THERE WILL BE NO ENEMIES IN THIS STORY!...maybe some princess rivalries a lot later, but lets be real... Hou-ting has nothing on our little Fire Baby!)**


	3. Sewing

**Chapter 3: Sewing**

 **119AG**

* * *

 **Fire Nation Royal Palace, Mai's Parlor**

For six days a week, Masaru studied firebending in the early morning with General Iroh for an hour and a half followed by sword fighting with Master Piandao for another hour and a half before breakfast. He then insisted on continuing studies in literature, history, and arithmetic, despite the third subject being his least favorite to study in Gaoling. After preliminary examinations, his tutors decided that the five-year-old would study the curriculum of an eleven-year-old sixth year Fire Nation child.

Izumi, on the other hand, was given a single throwing knife and a needle and made to practice forty minutes of throwing, forty minutes of sewing, an hour of gymnastics, and forty minutes of how to walk, sit, bow and courtesy in the style of the nobles of all four nations and their respective regions.

"Why do I have to learn how to sew?" Izumi asked during the embroidery session with her mother, throwing her needle and her frame across the room, the needle sticking into the wall and the frame bouncing twice before rolling away.

"It may be useful in the event your father loses his job and we have to start to make our own clothing," Mai informed her daughter as she sat across from the small girl doing her own silk needlework for an embroidered patch she intended to have added to a formal robe.

"Why can't you make my clothing? You're so much better at this than me anyways!" Izumi asked, perching her chin on her hands, desperately trying to get out of her lessons.

"Because I will be busy doing the cooking, cleaning, and sewing of my own clothing," Mai answered.

"What about Father? What will he do if or when he isn't doing whatever he does today?"

"He would be finding work elsewhere, he may become a laborer or a soldier?"

"Why can't he become a lawyer or a teacher, or something a little… I don't know, cleaner?" Izumi asked.

"Because he does not have the proper credentials required for those occupations."

"Can't he go to school and get them?"

"That would require a lot of money which we don't currently have," Mai gently replied.

"If we don't have money, how do we eat and live?"

"We live off of government subsidies," Mai explained. "We are public servants and as long as we continue to serve our country dutifully, we can eat and and not have to worry about money. We all have a role to play in our family, and a duty to the Fire Nation, Izumi. You must accept that."

Izumi looked down at her feet dangling off the chair, swinging impatiently. "And what role and duty is that?"

"Your role now is to be a good daughter and pupil, listen to your mother, and finish your embroidery," Mai deadpanned.

"And my duty to the Fire Nation?" Izumi pressed.

"We will tell you when you're older," Mai replied.

"UGH! I hate waiting!" Izumi groaned, sliding off her chair going to retrieve her needle and frame where her messy little stitching of the outline of a raspberry remained half-done on the stretched piece of silk. She picked it up then reached for the needle and pulled.

"MA it's not coming out!" she cried. She dropped the frame again, gripped the rather large needle with her small hands, planted both feet on the wall, and used her whole body for leverage before losing her grip on the metal and falling with a light thud and a yelp.

Mai smiled and set down her work and yanked the needle out of the stone work with one hand. The Fire Lady knelt down on one knee beside her daughter, who laid on her back on the floor and watched her mother do everything so easily with mild jealousy, and helped her to her feet.

"Your throwing technique is improving quickly, Izumi. For that, you should be proud. Maybe tomorrow we can move on from the knives and to the stilettos. They fly very much like these, but much more nicely." Mai said with a smirk, balancing her daughter's needle perfectly on her index finger. Izumi's eyes widened with excitement.

* * *

 **At first I thought Izumi should stitch a cheese wedge (because it is an easy shape) then remembered that there were not cows in Asia(or at least South East Asia) for a long time and many Asians are lactose intolerant and that is why the cooking has practically no butter... and other dairy products... and I am just rambling.**

 **Also... if you haven't noticed, neither Mai nor Zuko tell Izumi she is a princess for reasons that will become more apparent later. They do, however try to teach her duty, honor, respect, kindness, and confidence.**

 **Please, please, please let me know what you think of baby Izumi and Mai's relationship thus far:)))**


	4. Quarrels

Mai sat across from Zuko with a shared pot of tea after the two children had gone off to resume their respective lessons with their masters.

"Forgive the interruption, My Lord, My Lady," a messenger said, entering the room. "...but the Sword Master Piandao has asked me to ask you if you knew anything about the whereabouts of his next pupil."

"Masaru?" Mai asked, glancing sideways at her husband who shrugged.

"Yes, My Lady."

"It is unlike the boy to miss his lessons. He loves the broadsword dearly even if his is only wooden," Zuko commented.

"Shall I send some of the palace guards to search for the children?" the messenger asked.

"No, we will find him; I don't want the guards to frighten him," Mai replied, standing up and smoothing her skirts.

"I thought the boy claimed he feared nothing," Zuko replied, following his wife's lead.

"He doesn't so far as we can tell. But if he is missing, there is a high chance he is with Izumi, and she does have fears," Mai replied plainly. "Ren, I believe we're finished with the tea, thank you."

"Yes, My Lady," the serving girl responded, carrying the trays away.

* * *

On the other side of the palace, Masaru raced through the hallways with a pretty doll dressed in Fire Nation fashion from twenty years ago. He ran as fast as he could sliding across the floors when he reached the end of a hall and tried to turn, and kept running.

"SARU GIVE IT BACK!" five-year-old Izumi yelled, cutting him off. He ducked under her arm as she lunged forward out of a crossing hall and she fell. Both children were out of breath.

"Not until you return my sword, you little thief!" Masaru yelled, backing up against an open window.

"I didn't steal your sword! I was only borrowing it! Mother told us to share our toys anyways!" Izumi replied, seething with fury.

"Master Piandao says a sword is NOT a toy! It is an extension of one's own body! An extension of oneself and you've ROBBED ME OF IT!"

"I was going to give it back!" Izumi insisted. "Eventually!" she added, reaching for her doll. He held it just out of reach and out the window.

"Let go of me, or I'll drop it and it will fall, twelve stories down to the pavement below! Maybe it will bounce off a few rooftops on the way!" Masaru threatened glaring at the princess.

"Do it and I'll throw YOU out the window after it! Maybe YOU will bounce off a few rooftops on the way!" Izumi yelled back punching him.

"Fine, then I'll burn it and let the ashes spread to the wind!"

Izumi let go, trying to think of another way she could threaten Masaru. Her child's brain failing her in that moment.

"You're a Princess! Just get your own sword!" Masaru told her.

"I did! By TAKING YOURS!" Izumi yelled, lunging at him again. He lit his hand on fire, burning her doll.

She stepped back, eyes wide with tears. Her anger turning to grief, and before Masasru could blink again, she was screaming.

"Oh no! No- no- no- no- no-!" Masaru extinguished the flame and brushed off the doll.

"It was a controlled flame! I have been practicing! Look! Laika isn't even harmed! Izumi!" He said showing her the doll, pressing it into her chest. She didn't hold it. She just kept screaming, her eyes squeezed shut as fat, glistening tears poured down her face.

"Oh will you SHUT IT ALREADY?!" Masaru asked in a panic, dropping the doll and covering her mouth with one hand and holding the back of her head with the other. She kneed him between the legs, but he still didn't let go as the thundering sound of heavy boots filled the halls.

"Unhand the little lady!" the guards ordered jumping on Masaru as he released Izumi. Izumi snatched up her doll and backed away from everyone, including Masaru. The guards were about to cuff the boy's wrists before realizing he was too small and the cuffs wouldn't fit.

"What is the meaning of all this?" Mai asked entering the hall with Zuko by her side.

"Kioki, unhand my ward," Zuko ordered. "You are all to treat him with the SAME respect as you are to treat Izumi. He may not even seem of noble birth, but he is still worth more than you can imagine."

The guard, Kioki let go of the five-year-old who shrugged and cast a glare in the soldier's direction.

"Masaru, explain yourself," Mai ordered gazing down at the boy.

"Izumi stole my sword-" Masaru replied before being cut off.

"BORROWED!" Izumi interjected.

"Zumi, quiet," Mai snapped. "Saru, continue."

Izumi folded her arms over her doll and pouted.

"Izumi stole my training sword and caused me to miss my lesson, so I stole her favorite doll in retaliation so that she would miss her lesson," Masaru explained.

"Izumi, your turn," Mai said diplomatically, turning to her daughter.

"I only BORROWED his sword because I wanted to practice with it. I have been watching his lessons with Master Piandao and they look like so much more fun than mine with Della. I was going to return it before his lesson, but lost track of time and had to rush and left it hidden where Iliana wouldn't find it on accident while cleaning," Izumi explained.

Mai sighed. "Izumi, you have your doll now. You will return to your bedroom and REMAIN there until dinner-"

"What?!" Izumi shrieked.

"Masaru, you will return to YOUR bedroom and remain THERE until dinner-"

"But-" Masaru began to protest.

"-Your sword will be promptly returned to you by way of a messenger. In the meantime, I need a word with your father," Mai said, looking at Izumi. "And your uncle," she added, looking at Masaru. "About what we shall do about this unruly behavior from the BOTH of you," Mai decided.

"Nooooo!" the children whined as they were both lead away by gentler maids and nannies while the guards were ordered to return to their posts.

* * *

Zuko retrieved Masaru from his room while Mai fetched Izumi later that evening for dinner together in the White Birch Dining room. It was deeper in the castle than the Cherry Blossom Galley that they often used when they wanted a cool breeze and a view of the palace gardens. That dining room had a balcony while this one was completely enclosed with a massive fireplace.

Zuko pulled out a chair for Mai and Masaru pulled one out for Izumi out of habit. Just as she was about to sit down, Masaru remembered he was still mad at her and yanked the chair and she fell with a yelp and he ran to the fire place as she took off after him. He stopped her by pulling a bit of the blazing fire out of the hearth and bending it around his waist like a shield. Mai grabbed Izumi and set her down in her seat while Zuko walked through the fire sand grabbed Masaru by the arm, spanking him twice before carrying him to his seat.

"That's for firebending inside! You know it could be dangerous!" Zuko scolded. "Someone could get hurt!"

"Zumi hurts me every day," Masaru muttered.

"I do not!" Izumi yelled.

"Do too!"

"How?"

"When you walk away…" Masaru mumbled.

"Enough! Another word from either of you, and you're sweeping out the ashes from the fireplace after dinner!" Mai ordered. "Now eat at least a little before we tell you our verdict on your little skirmish earlier today."

"Why to you always make us wait before telling us anything?" Masaru asked just before lifting a bit of rice and a piece of sausage to his mouth.

"For various reasons depending on the occasion and information you are seeking," Zuko responded while placing his napkin in his lap, tapping Masaru on the leg to remind him to do the same.

"This time, we're waiting until after you're fed because we know there is a high chance you two will both bolt from the dining room and we don't want you to starve this evening," Mai replied, dabbing the corner of her mouth delicately

"So your verdict will be something we find repulsive?"

"Repulsive? Where did you hear such a word?" Mai asked.

"From Saru," she whispered, her plate nearly chin level with her food, making it hard for her to not just shovel it into her mouth.

"You may kneel if it makes things easier," Mai whispered. Izumi climbs up in her chair and kneeled so she stood a little bit higher over the table and could use her chopsticks properly.

They are in near silence for a while, Zuko and Mai both thinking the same thing. The children were crushing on each other. It was the only explanation for their constant bickering. The Fire Lord and Fire Lady remembered pretending to hate each other as children. They remembered the lingering gazes, the avoidance of eye contact and the turning away when one looked in the other's direction.

"Finished!" the two children chorused setting their chopsticks down across the edge of their bowls in unison. Mai and Zuko shared a knowing glance while the two children growled at each other.

"Very well, beginning tomorrow morning at sunrise, you both will train with Master Piandao followed by you both attending a lesson with Miss Della in the Olive Orchard Tea Room," Mai decided.

"WHAT?!"

"Not fair!"

"Saru will HATE Della!"

"Zumzu will faint like a LADY! She has no stamina!"

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"MAKE ME!"

Izumi somehow from her kneeling position on the chair, managed to dive over the table without disturbing anything and tackle Masaru into the ground. Both Mai and Zuko jumped up. Zuko ran his fingers through his head trying to remain calm while Mai pried the children apart.

"ENOUGH!" Zuko yelled. "The decision is final! Izumi, if you have the slightest care for our family and our Great Nation, you must learn to behave yourself. And Masaru…" Zuko froze.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Zuko. I understand if you just want to send me back to Gaoling," Masaru said, standing up and brushing himself off, heading for the door on his own.

"No, we're not going to just 'send you back'. I made a promise to help you learn firebending and I will not go back on that promise. _We_ will not go back on that promise. It would do well for you to also receive a complete education not just in academics, but society. Don't think of joining Izumi under Della as a punishment, but an opportunity. You too can someday be able to contribute not just to our nation, but the world."


	5. With Della

Both children were only slightly disheveled by the time they got to their etiquette lessons with Miss Della. She was an ancient and rather rotund old lady from Ba Sing Se who had been hired to instruct Izumi on the ways of high society in the Earth Kingdom since Mai was perfectly competent covering the Fire Nation.

"You, girl, have one hair out of place, and you, boy, have a bruise on your face, did you know that?"

"She hit me yesterday at dinner," Masaru explained.

Izumi glared at him. "In my defense, he deserved it."

"There is no such thing as deserving or not deserving a fist to the jaw. The deed has already been done. Our job will be to ensure it never happens again," Della replied, pacing back and forth in front of the two young children.

"Heh, like that will ever happen," Masaru muttered, glancing at Izumi. She remained staring straight forward, with her chin tilted upward, only slightly.

"We begin with breakfast. Masaru, being the man of you two, you must pull out the chair for the lady," Della explained.

 _Hm…_ Masaru thought to himself not really wanting to do anything for Izumi after she stole his sword, invaded his lessons with Piandao, and tackled him yesterday evening. "But Miss Della, she's not a Lady, she's a GIRL!" Masaru responded.

Izumi shot him a look of sheer horror with her wide golden-tangerine eyes looking like they might fall out of her face in shock.

Della turned to Masaru, studying him intently before pulling something out of her waistband. Masaru's eyes widened upon realizing it was a large wooden paddle.

"Wha-" Masaru shielded his face, but the pain never came. Only the sound of the paddle hitting somebody.

"Yes, she is just a girl who should always be acting like a lady so that nobody dares to think otherwise," Della replied. looking down at Izumi's crumpled form on the floor.

"What was that for? She didn't even do anything!" Masaru yelled, jumping up, yanking the paddle out of Della's hand and hitting back. Della grabbed Masaru by the wrist lifting him a clear foot off the ground with one hand whilst retrieving her paddle with her other hand.

"How DARE you intervene with the disciplinary methods I employ to mold the young _girl_ into a proper young _lady_! She got punished because she misled you into thinking she was anything BUT a lady!" Della explained.

"Bullshit!" Masaru yelled, holding onto her wrist with his free hand to try to ease the strain on his shoulder. Della let him down only to grab hold of him again, this time by the ear to drag him into a corner and beat him soundly before returning her attention to Izumi.

"Since you both seem immune to individual discipline, why don't we make your punishments collective?" Della said, reaching for Izumi's ear.

"NO!" Masaru cried. "I'll pull out the damn chair! I'll obey your every order! Just don't hurt HER. PLEASE!" Masaru yelled, rushing over and pulling out one of the three chairs at the table. Izumi took advantage of Della's moment of distraction and ducked under her arm, and took her seat at the table, smoothing her knee-length red skirts, and placing a napkin in her lap as Masaru pushed her in towards the table again in silence. Masaru rounded the table to his seat and climbed onto it, brushing his shirt off and making his best attempt to copy Izumi's near-perfect posture, with some difficulty.

Della eyed them suspiciously before also joining them at the table. Della had Izumi inform Masaru on the function and purpose of every unnecessary utensil on the table and then demonstrate how to pour the tea. They took turns practicing that and passing the various plates of small fruits and pastries around the already small table, not allowed to reach over anything.

"Well," Izumi said as they finally were dismissed from the dreadful excuse for a lesson. "What do you think?"

"That woman is absolutely horrid! I don't know how you've managed to survive this long under her tutelage. How long have you been studying under her, if you can even call that studying," Masaru asked.

"Only a half year. I knew you'd hate her."

"I don't know why your mother allows her to stay! Her methods of discipline are archaic!"

"Mother says that Della is relatively merciful compared to her old teacher, Midori from the village of Shu Jing. She starved mother for whole days and that was after the beatings-"

"Spirits, Zumi!" Masaru exclaimed. "That's it! NEITHER of us are ever going back to Della!"

"Wait- what?"

"We are ditching tomorrow and forever!"

"Saru, we can't!"

"We MUST! I don't think I can last another hour with that woman and your parents DID say we have to stick together now!"

"You're insane!"

"After your bath after our lessons with Master Piandao tomorrow, meet me in the Cherry Blossom Galley! I have a plan, and if you don't come, then I am going to sneak into your room and light your wardrobe and ALL of your fancy clothes on fire!" Masaru threatened with a devious grin.

"You wouldn't!" Izumi growled.

"And what would Miss Della say then when you're forced to appear to your lessons in only your underwear?" Masaru asked smugly before taking off into a run.

"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU, SARU!" Izumi yelled, sprinting after him while he only laughed.

* * *

Izumi checked the corridors then ran into the Cherry Blossom Galley where a table for two had been set up. On it, there was a teapot, two cups, and two saucers.

"Boo!"

Izumi screamed and spun around, smacking Masaru on his other cheek. "Zumi! At this rate, people will think the Fire Lord abuses me!" Masaru said, holding his face pretending to be hurt only for a second when he saw she wasn't going to fall for it. He always did love her reactions. He smiled and passed her, leading the way to a small table set for two with tea and pastries, and following him, an adult.

Izumi's eyes widened in fear.

"Don't worry about him! He's my friend from the kitchen! He won't tell on us or anything!" Masaru informed her as she backed away from the adult.

"Come! Sit, Princess!" Masaru invited, pulling out a chair for her, and pouring tea for them.

"Why do you call me princess? This is the second time," Izumi asked.

Masaru looked at her strangely for a minute. Neither Mai nor Zuko ever told her? He shrugged. They probably had a reason, like how they had reasons for the endless number of other secrets they kept. "Because you're a princess to me and I am sure many others," Masaru replied vaguely. Izumi seemed to accept his answer, so he proceeded with the event. "And Fanjin, what is for breakfast today?" Masaru asked.

"Your Princess's Favorite, raspberry tarts," the kitchen servant said, serving them. Izumi gasped and reached with her hands, but Masaru blocked her reach.

"No! You have to use the knife and fork! The two-pronged one since it is just a pastry and not a steak!"

"How would you know?" You've only had one lesson with Miss Della!" Izumi asked.

"I've been spending time with your Great Uncle Iroh! He's my firebending master. Recently he began teaching me to read and introducing the concept of 'independent study'. There's a book on etiquette in the Palace Library that I skimmed last night! There's a WHOLE section on eating fruit tarts!"

"You've got to be joking!"

"Nope!" Masaru said, handing over the book. Izumi flipped through it.

"It looks nice, but I can't read yet."

"I can teach you AFTER you finish the fruit tart. If your parents find out I let you get distracted by the art and starve, they'll have me roasted alive before morning!"

Izumi laughed and set the book aside and picked up the knife and fork.

Masaru beamed and waited for her to take her first bite before starting.

* * *

"This is a disaster!" Della exclaimed in one of the many parlors where she met with Iroh, Mai, and Zuko each week to discuss the children's development.

"I beg to differ. Self-discipline will benefit both children greatly especially if they can hone it at such a young age. The more they learn and are motivated to learn on their own, the easier your job will be," Iroh reminded Della.

"That is assuming your job still exists after Uncle Iroh's experiment," Mai added bluntly.

Della gasped, "-still exists? Are you suggesting they may be able to learn Earth Kingdom etiquette on their own?"

"Books do exist on the topic, as Saru has discovered in the library," Mai replied.

Della growled.

"It is curious just how deeply he cares for her at this age."

Zuko looked at her sternly. "They are each other's best friends and for the time being, happen to be all the other has. Of course they would care deeply for each other-It would be more concerning if they didn't."

* * *

 **Eugh! Sorry about the ending to this chapter. I hate Della and didn't know what else to do with her[for now], but had to have an evil tutor/governess for the children to retaliate against and motivate them to start learning on their own. I like that Iroh has so much faith in them to be responsible, and how the tutor doubts their abilities. And Saru is just my favorite little gentleman. And so tiny, and loving, and adorable, and... and... one of my favorite OCs, that I have written, (maybe just after Huifan and Miyoko). Anyways! I hope you have a wonderful week, and as always, all feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	6. Lightning

Zuko shook his head as he ran after his daughter with the sound of his sister's mad cackling still resonating in his the back of his mind.

"Zumi! Slow down, please!" The Fire Lord begged his young and energetic daughter.

"But I have to show Saru!" Izumi replied, sprinting as fast as her tiny legs could carry her.

 _WHY?! Why did he think introducing them would be a good idea? And why of all days did he introduce them the afternoon that Toph and Satoru would be arriving from Gaoling?_

"My lord!" A messenger yelled, running towards him.

Both Izumi and Zuko stopped. Zuko immediately noticed the messenger's grave expression and turned to his daughter. "Zumi go on without me. And PLEASE, be safe!"

Izumi nodded and ran.

"What has happened?" Zuko asked his messenger once his daughter had gone.

"The new airship. It- has- fallen."

"What?" Zuko gasped.

"Near Fire Fountain City. We've radioed the survivors. They're continuing by life balloon directly to the palace?"

"Survivors? How many?" Zuko asked accompanying the messenger to the radio room.

"All except two have been accounted for," the messenger answered.

* * *

Izumi found Masaru warming up basic forms in the courtyard while he waited for his firebending master for afternoon practice.

"Zumi! You're not supposed to be here! Firebending training can be dangerous especially when one is still learning!" Masaru insisted, pushing her off the grass.

"No, I understand! I just needed to show you something!" Izumi insisted, lifting her hands and pushing him back into the grass with a strength that caught him off guard. He rolled backwards and onto his feet again. "Look! I learned something new from Aunt Azula!" Izumi exclaimed twisting at the waist, and wrapping her arms back, curling all except two fingers of each hand into a fist. She moved her arms in a flowing motion, then pointed two fingers at Masaru.

Fortunately, the young six year old boy had his mother's reflexes and strength, taking in the lightning as if it were as harmless as a drizzling rain splashing off of his small body. He pointed two fingers up at the sky and two fingers at the ground and redirected the lightning he received from his friend in a dazzling display of light.

Izumi's eyes went wide as she watched him. He fell to his knees once done, exhausted. His shoulders slumped, his breathing haggard.

Izumi froze. The lightning felt so natural to her, but why did Saru look so tired?

"Excellent work, Mister Masaru," Uncle Iroh's old, raspy and yet warm voice said entering the courtyard.

"Thank you, Uncle," Masaru replied, panting, still in shock by that unexpected turn of events.

"And you, Princess Izumi. Your form was impeccable for your first time. Only one hair came out of place," Iroh added, tucking the lock behind her ear.

"Really?" Izumi asked excitedly.

"Although. I am sure neither of your parents would appreciate you playing with lightning unsupervised. It is a VERY dangerous technique," Iroh commented.

"Don't worry. My parents won't care. They wouldn't understand anyways. You've taught me enough control and restraint to be able to control my inner flame. I can handle a little lightning," Masaru replied, still kneeling.

"Your confidence reminds me very much of my nephew when he was in exile, Masaru." Iroh chuckled, holding his massive belly. "He thought he was ready to progress when he was not. The greatest asset any bender can have is patience. This goes for you too, Princess Izumi. Patience is key, and a skill I believe to this day that only Masaru's mother, Toph Beifong, has ever truly mastered."

Both children raised their heads at the sound of the name.

Masaru knit his brow. "I don't understand. She's just an earthbender!"

"Your mother is the greatest earthbender in the world, Masaru. She was born blind into a family that didn't understand earthbending. They too thought her power was dangerous if not contained. She learned to see from the badgermoles who taught her to wait and listen before moving, bending, and fighting. Above all, those badgermoles taught her how to wait for the right opportunity." Iroh paused to place a hand on the shoulder of his pupil, and his great niece. "You too must learn to wait. Do not rush your lightning, for if it passes through your heart accidentally, it could destroy you," Iroh said gravely. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Great Uncle Iroh," Both children sighed.

"Excellent! In that case, Izumi, are you ready to add firebending to your studies and join Masaru in his lessons?"

"Yes!" Izumi exclaimed ecstatically.

"Then, let's begin!"


	7. Not the Same

They were running through form after form, helping Izumi catch up. It had been hours since they began that Saturday's practice without Great Uncle Iroh. Any non-benders would have gotten sunstroke being outside for so long in the blistering heat but Masaru and Izumi were firebenders and only felt more energized by the prolonged exposure to the celestial object's harsh rays.

"We should break to drink at least," Masaru said, stretching his shoulders, walking over to the wings of the courtyard.

"Agreed," Izumi replied, following her friend. She loved firebending. She loved spending more time with Masaru. She loved learning from him. And he, he loved teaching. And he loved her.

Izumi drained the first of two dozen full bottles she brought with her that day. They decided to skip library time today for a day in the heat and had no intention of reentering the palace until the sun set on the horizon.

Masaru drank most of his water then poured the rest on his head to wash off some of his sweat. She watched him curiously as he stretched. Somewhat mesmerized by his routine. And then, he started disrobing.

"What are you doing?" She asked, taken a little aback.

"Removing my shirt," Masaru replied tossing his belt aside and shrugging the tunic from his shoulders.

"Why?" Izumi asked.

"Because I'm hot," Masaru replied.

Izumi thought about it. It was very reasonable. The clothing did contain the heat. So she undid her belt and followed.

"Woah! Wait! What are YOU doing?" Masaru asked, averting his eyes.

"Taking off my shirt," Izumi replied casually.

"Why?" Masaru asked, still looking away.

"Because I'm hot," Izumi replied, confused to why he would ask such a thing.

"But— but you can't!" Masaru replied, his tiny chest panting.

"And why not?"

"Because— you're a girl!"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"It's not proper!"

"Says who?"

"I don't know— it's just like that for girls! They're not supposed to take their clothes off in public! It isn't decent!" Masaru replied.

"First of all, we're not in public. There's no one here but us! And second of all," Izumi came over and wrenched his hands away from his face and forced him to look at her eyes. "Now that I've seen you shirtless and I've seen me shirtless, I can verify that we look exactly the same! So why can't we both take off our shirts if we're both hot outside?" Izumi asked. Masaru lowered his arms in defeat and she let go of his head and knelt in the grass before him, both bare chested children with no breasts and a little round belly.

Masaru examined the resemblance and then turned away.

"I still don't think it's right,"

"Well for someone so grounded in logic, you didn't give very good reasoning for your thinking," Izumi replied, pouting.

"Hey!"

"It's true! Now quit squirming and lets get back to work! You promised to help me catch up to you!" Izumi yelled standing, pulling on his arm to get him back on his feet.

"Ugh, fine. But just as a warning. We might get in trouble."

"Why? The only difference between us is what's between our legs and the length of the hair on our heads. Now come on! Next form! You PROMISED!" Izumi said darkly.

They drilled the Dancing Dragon, the Flight of the Phoenix, and the crouching Ash chameleon when they heard someone scream. They both turned to see a servant asking along the upper balcony that enclosed the courtyard.

"Oh Spirits!" She covered her eyes and ran.

"You were seen!" Masaru yelled, running to gather his things.

"Why is that a bad thing? Am I that ugly?" Izumi asked, waving her arms with exasperation. "And why is it that you assume it was my body and not yours that made her run away screaming?"

"I just know okay?!" Masaru yelled, throwing his bottles of water into his bag.

"Are they injured?" a cool, but familiar voice asked the shaken servant. Both children froze.

"No, look!" The servant said, pointing.

Izumi and Masaru turned ans both took a knee.

"Auntie Mai," Masaru bowed his head.

"Mother," Izumi did the same.

"Izumi, put on your clothes please, — Masaru—"

"I tried to stop her, I swear it!" Masaru said quickly.

"Zumi, now!" Mai yelled sternly, noticing her daughter remaining kneeling in the grass.

"Not until you give me a better reason than Saru did as to why," Izumi replied.

"Zumi- don't argue with me and put on your clothes already."

"Answer me," Izumi shot back.

"You don't get to make demands," Mai replied impatiently.

"What are you going to do about it?" Izumi asked, feeling particularly braver now that she had firebending at her disposal.

Mai opened her hand and slipped three blades into the space between her fingers. Izumi stood up from her crouched position ready to fight. The servant screamed again and ran away to go get more help.

"Zumi, I don't think this is a good idea!" Masaru yelled.

"I was hoping to not see you rebel until you were at least sixteen, but I guess, things don't always go according to plan do they, my sweet little Zumi?" Mai asked, dangerously calm in her speech.

"Sorry," Izumi shrugged, feeling formidable against her non-bending mother. Mai threw her knives and her daughter rolled to the side and ran. She was a fast little thing and able to dodge most of her mother's daggers. Her mother often pinned people by the wrists since it was safest part of the body to aim, but she couldn't pin her daughter by her skin, so she had to aim for a different place. Snagging a pant leg would be easy because of the balloon design of Fire Nation trousers, but dangerous. Stopping someone by a body part so low would cause them to fall, potentially twisting an ankle or dislocating a knee.

"What in the spirit world is happening here?!" Zuko bellowed, appearing with the healer Akira and Izumi's maid, Iliana.

"Somebody has decided they that they are no longer content being clothed," Mai replied throwing more knives as Izumi ran. She climbed a wall and flipped off a railing on the balcony and onto the roof.

"Saru gets to take of his shirt when it is hot outside so why can't I?" Izumi replied.

"Zumi now is not the time for protest!" Zuko replied, rubbing his head.

"Tell me or my pants are coming off too!" Izumi yelled, standing on the roof, pulling the drawstring on the waistband of her pants. She the string out it out at arms length, holding up her waistband, threatening to let go and let her pants fall to her feet if her parents didn't answer her question. Masaru had curled up into a ball by this point with his face buried in the grass, courteously averting his eyes.

"Izumi," Mai called. "It is because you are a girl and historically girls didn't have much to offer their husbands when they married so they gave their bodies. You must keep yours chaste until you marry and—"

"And I am. I'm not making babies with anybody," Izumi replied, pensively, still holding the drawstring high.

"Now that we've told you, will you come down and put your clothes back on, please?" Zuko asked.

"No because that's still not a good enough reason," Izumi replied.

"Where do you still take issue?" Mai asked.

"Uncle, may I leave?" Masaru mumbled through the grass.

"Not yet, Son. We need to speak to both of you once Zumi comes down.

"That was historically. Times have changed. I don't have nothing. My parents are the Fire Lord and the Fire Lady. I can offer my future husband an ear instead of an unseen, untouched body! I can offer him gold once I start working—"

"You won't earn gold once you start working—" Mai interjected.

"And an ear of one so closely connected to the Fire Lord, while very alluring, won't be enough, Izumi," Zuko added.

Izumi frowned.

"You can keep your shirt off for now if you just come down!" Mai yelled impatiently.

"And please tie your pants securely," Zuko added. Izumi re-tied the drawstring and tucked it back into her waist band and climbed down, jumping from the balcony to the grass and rolling to break the impact of the fall. She walked over.

"Masaru, please stand and come over here," Zuko called. The boy stood up and bounded over, keeping his eyes on the Fire Lord and Fire Lady. "We know that while many— traditions— don't make much sense, we still must continue to follow them."

"But Father, times change!" Izumi chirped.

"In some areas much faster than others. Etiquette is one of those things that is extremely slow to evolve. It is also one of those things that if we change too quickly, we will cause chaos and lose the faith of the people. The masses find comfort in familiarity and disdain change in this particular area." Zuko explained.

"And Izumi you must remember your family," Mai reminded her. "When you make decisions. You represent your father and me. If you become as wild like you did today, and it wasn't one of our servants who saw but someone would run to the press instead, you could ruin your father's credibility as a father of a girl and no longer be trusted as the Father of the Nation. His career and our security could be ruined by your actions."

Izumi hung her head in shame and

"Please don't put all of the blame on her for being— her. It's my fault I didn't think very quickly. I should have tried harder to convince her to replace her shirt," Masaru chimed in.

"You shouldn't need to advise her on what is proper. She should know already," Zuko replied, putting a reassuring hand on Masaru's shoulder.

Mai picked up her daughter's shirt and draped it over her shoulders and tied it closed.

"Perhaps you both need a few lessons with Della, as a refresher. I have a feeling etiquette has been a subject you let fall by the wayside in the past few months while you two have been training your bending so diligently." Mai said, running her thumb over her daughter's cheek affectionately.

Izumi growled like an agitated Komodo dragon and moved away from her mother's hand but had a feeling nothing would come out of further protest, and resigned, accepting the lessons with Della as punishment for being so unruly.

* * *

The next morning as they left the tea room, Izumi turned to Masaru and pinned him to the wall by his shoulders.

"When we're older, I WILL change things!" She growled. He nodded eyes wide, terrified while impressed by her strength of Will and determination.

But Great Uncle Iroh and Father are right. We need to be patient and maintain the trust of those around us before taking action," Izumi said looking away contemplatively.

Masaru sighed. "Haven't I kind of been telling you that?"

"Not explicitly," Izumi replied, looking back at him.

He waited a minute but nothing else came. "Well now that that's off your chest, can you release me?" He asked, not particularly wanting to push the lady off of him after getting getting his ears chewed out by Miss Della for two dreadfully long hours about the different expectations society had for men and ladies.

* * *

 _A/N I didn't know what to call this chapter. At first I thought "Nude Izumi" just because I imagine this stubborn little girl running around topless trying to figure out why she and her best friend are treated differently when it comes to nudity. Both learn firebending, swordsmanship, etiquette, history, etc and are told that they are equals in every way and that neither outranks the other, yet when it comes to stripping in the heat of the sun, they're treated differently even though their child's bodies up top look exactly the same. (I know in Europe and some eastern countries, it is not so big of a deal if a prepubescent girl goes topless on a beach, but where I am, people think it is uncouth.) Anyways, I just wanted to go over the gender roles/expectations that Izumi must endure and the instances that contributed to the development of the progressive ideals she has as an adult._


	8. Understanding Saru

"Don't you get bored of all of those markings on the page?" Izumi asked, kneeling on an armchair beside Masaru in the Royal Library as he read.

"Of course, but it is essential to everything."

Izumi raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

"Extensive understanding of how the world and its people operate creates not only a versatile fighter ready to face anybody on the battlefield, but a versatile lawyer in a courtroom, businessman in an office, commander of a ship, or family member in his or her own home." Masaru replied, handing her the book. She was supposed to be learning. He was teaching her since neither could stand to look at any of her ridiculously strict tutors a moment longer.

"Who told you that?" Izumi asked, not interested in the book he offered her in that moment.

"My father," he replied, going to fetch another book for himself.

"And you still remember it?"

"Of course," Masaru replied, fanning through another he pulled down from the shelf.

"I don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"I don't understand you sometimes, Saru."

"Well, what is there to understand?"

"You sound like you admire your father greatly."

"And I do!" Masaru confirmed, replacing that book to flip through another.

"Then why did you leave?"

"Because I was afraid. I hurt my mother, and I didn't want to risk hurting her again if I stayed."

"How did you hurt her?"

"I burned her one day on accident— the day I discovered I was a firebender. She enclosed my hands in these heavy earthen gauntlets hoping to smother the flames if they resurfaced. She didn't understand. A firebender's inner flame is not like a candle or a bonfire on the beach. As long as the bender breathes, the flame remains," He slammed the book shut in his arms and looked down and placed it quickly on the shelf again as his hands heated up. "I knew I could never meet her expectations. She's the greatest earthbender in the world-she could never understand firebending, especially with eyes like hers. With her blindness she can't protect herself against fire. And I didn't want to ever hurt her again."

"That's a stupid thing to be afraid of. You cannot avoid hurting your mother. I hurt mine every day," Izumi replied leaning her elbow on the table between their two arm chairs.

"What?" Masaru asked, puzzled by her claim. "How?" The Fire Lady seemed impervious to any attempts to shake her in any way. She always seemed so fearless and invincible to Masaru. Then again, she never did show her feelings.

"She says it hurts her every time she sees me walk away, even if it is just to a lesson, for an hour or a half day. She says she misses me when I am out of her sight; that her heart and her head aches when I'm away."

"That's all very touching, but my mother was never like that. She was hardly ever even there from what I remember of Gaoling. She worked dawn till dusk daily and when she was home, hadn't the energy to stay up long enough to even sup with us. After she found out I could not bend Earth, it was like she lost all interest in me as a human being. She didn't even come after me when I ran away. She just... let it happen."

"She must have had a really good reason, Saru. My mother says mothers don't leave their children easily."

"Well, she did," Masaru huffed, replacing the book he was reading and reaching for another. "I don't want to talk about them anymore." he added, opening the book and sitting down in the large arm chair by the window of that aisle.


	9. Egg

(Both 6)

Zuko had just returned from one of his monthly peace-keeping trips to Republic City and asked to have lunch with just his daughter upon his return. No Mai, nor Masaru. Just them.

Zuko never realized how awkward it would be to dine with his seven-year-old. She grew and learned so much in a day that after a week away she became barely recognizable. She wore her hair differently today. Instead of the wearing two buns wrapped in red fabric and tied with golden cord, like how her mother wore her hair as a child, Izumi wore hers down today, with a third of it gathered in a top knot mirroring his hairstyle for some reason.

"Is there any particular reason for the change?" He asked, studying how her long her hair was and how it framed her face.

"Nope, just wanted to try something new. Mother even gave me one of her flame ornaments!" Izumi replied, excitedly reaching her small hands up to feel the smooth metal of the flame.

"It looks nice," Zuko replied before another pregnant pause in conversation.

"Were there any major issues in the City, or only general maintenance to do?" Izumi asked finally.

It was a surprising question to come out of the mouth of his seven-year-old girl. "What would you classify a major issue?"

"I don't know? Anything that would require your intervention to calm public panic. Is the Agni Kai Triad still terrorizing the Southern Water Tribe district?"

"How do you know about that?" Zuko asked, confused. Were her tutors already keeping her abreast of current events?

"Saru and I started reading the newspapers from Republic City, Omashu, Ba Sing Se, and the Northern Water Tribe's Capital City," Izumi replied. "Only the Tuesday issues, though." she added. "We don't have time to keep up with everything happening every day. THAT would be insane on top of our history studies and battle strategy days. I don't know how you manage keeping up with just our country!"

"I don't-I have secretaries that help me. They summarize the major events for me and an assembly of advisors, then they help me prioritize which to address first and then we proceed."

"Hm…" Izumi set her chopsticks down, deep in thought. "I believe I've read about a similar process… or technique? I don't know what it is classified as, but it is a division of labor, right?"

"Exactly!" Zuko replied with a smile. "You've learned so much in the past few years with Saru here."

"It only seems natural. Before he came, I didn't know how to read, and now… we read together all the time. If I come across a word I don't know, he explains it to me. If neither of us know, we find an adult. If that adult doesn't know, then we check the dictionary. That's a last resort only because it takes SOOOO much time to match the character by the number of strokes or corners or base and…"

"I am familiar with how annoying a dictionary is, my little turtle duck," Zuko interrupted.

Izumi smiled. "Why did you call me here today? You're usually so ecstatic to see everybody when you return home after so long away."

"And I am, but I wanted to see you in particular this time."

"Why?"

"Because I have a gift just for you, Izumi."

"Just for me?" Izumi asked, surprised. "Not Saru too? I thought we were equals and had to share all of our toys."

"This gift is not a toy, but a friend and a responsibility." Zuko explained. Young seven-year-old Izumi nodded. He pulled out from behind his back a scaly egg and placed it in her hands. "Do not give it to anybody for any reason, for it is more valuable than everything you own put together."

"What is it?" Izumi asked, cradling the egg in her tiny hands. She had never seen a toy like this before. It felt...warm? Her toys never felt like they were living before.

"A dragon!"

Izumi gasped and clutched the egg even tighter. "I thought they were nearing extinction! Father, I'm still only a child! Mother doesn't even let me into her parlor unaccompanied out of fear I'll break one of great grandmother Illah's ghastly vases! How can I be trusted with a member of a species that is nearly extinct?!"

"A dragon is not a delicate, breakable object like a vase. It is a life, Izumi. This dragon will become your best friend in time. You will care for each other like the Avatar and his Sky Bison... you will love each other…"

"But Father, What about Saru? Isn't he my already my best friend? It wouldn't be right to replace him with this," Izumi questioned, gesturing to the egg.

"In that case, you will have a second best friend in the dragon!"

"But I can't have two best friends! By definition the word best when applied to something implies there is none greater than it!"

Zuko sighed. Typical Izumi to always get technical. She must get that from her mother. "Just keep him warm for me until he is ready to be hatched."

"And how will I know when that is?"

"You'll know," Zuko replied cryptically, digging into his pepper-laden fried rice.

* * *

"Based on the color and egg size and shape, your dragon is a short-snout fanged blue spitfire dragon," Masaru said, reading from a book in the royal Library while Izumi sat by him. Careful not to let it out of her sight, the dragon egg was perched atop a wire net over a candle. "Should be kept incubated at approximately 12,000 degrees Kelvin."

"Isn't that twice as hot as the temperature of the sun?" Izumi asked.

"Slightly more than that. Our sun is exactly 5778 degrees," Masaru replied.

"So I should turn up the temperature of the flame of the candle?"

"Are you sure you can do that?"

"Yes. I found out only yesterday..."

"No, I have complete confidence in your bending. I mean to say, I have concerns about that wire netting. It might melt at a higher temperature," Masaru informed Izumi. Izumi hadn't thought of that. "The egg may fall and break."

"You're right," she said, picking the egg off the wire frame. She ignited a little blue fire in her little hands, engulfing the egg. They both stared at it. "Does the book say anything about determining the age of an egg? Like... how long it has been an egg and how long I will have to incubate it at this temperature?"

Masaru flipped through the book a bit more. "Spitfire dragons can spend as little as a day and as long as five—no four—no, six hundred and eighty four years in their eggs before hatching."

"What?!" Izumi sighed. "Give me the book and you incubate the egg!"

"But my fire is not as hot as yours AND your father said you weren't supposed to give it away!"

"I'm not giving it to you to keep. I am giving it to you to borrow for, like, ten minutes while I read!" Izumi clarified.

Masaru reluctantly accepted the egg and engulfed it in his red flames, trying to make it as hot as he could, studying it intently, feeling for any signs of life from within. Maybe it was petrified?

After a few minutes, he felt a slight shift in the weight distribution of the egg. Maybe it was just his imagination. Then there was a bigger shift, movement! Like the dragon inside was ramming into the walls of his confines.

"Izumi!" Masaru yelled in terror, nearly dropping it in surprise.

"What?" Izumi asked, looking up from the book.

"Feel it! Feel the egg!" he begged, holding it out to her.

Her arms didn't leave the pages of the book. "But I've already felt it!"

"No! It's moving inside! Just feel it!"

Izumi sighed and put her hand into Masaru's flames and touched the egg. She felt something inside ram the wall of the egg then the whole thing fell still again. Her eyes went wide.

"Maybe we should talk to it!" Masaru suggested.

"Talk to it?" Izumi asked, puzzled to why he'd suggest such a silly thing.

"Yeah! Let it know it won't be alone when it comes into the world!" Masaru said enthusiastically.

"Uhh... sure?" Izumi leaned towards the egg.

"Hey dragon baby, are you warm enough in Saru's hands? Was I too hot for you? Is that why you moved for him and not me?"

"Don't be jealous. Maybe your fire un-petrified him or something!" Masaru said a bit more positively.

"Maybe," Izumi shrugged.

"Here, try red flames."

Masaru handed the dragon egg back to Izumi.

She felt it too. "Are you SURE it's a blue spitfire and not a red one?" Izumi asked.

"You have the book! Check the identifying marks on the egg!" Masaru said with a nod.

"Hmmmm... but he seems to respond better to red flames..."

"Maybe he just likes me more."

Izumi stuck her tongue out, trying to follow Saru's advice all the while.

* * *

That evening, the two children sat with Mai in her parlor reading like they did every evening since Izumi started learning how to read. The two children occupied one couch with their backs at opposite ends, perched up by pillows and their feet intertwined in the middle. The dragon egg was sitting in Masaru's lap.

"Zumi, I thought we told you to not give the egg away," Zuko said, entering the room late.

"I am not giving him away. I am sharing him. Incubating the thing is incredibly exhausting so I thought I'd give myself a break and exploit Masaru's help in keeping the thing safe," Izumi replied, not looking up from her book about some Earth Kingdom Prince who fell in love with the princess from an enemy tribe and then committed suicide when he thought she had died.

"Can't argue with her logic there," Mai commented, turning the page of a trade summary from the Southern Water Tribe.

"Masaru, are you okay with Izumi— exploiting you?" Zuko asked not quite sure he was comfortable with his young daughter learning so many big words.

"Well it's not exactly exploitation if I consent. We're sharing responsibility over the dragon egg," Masaru replied, closing the scroll he was reading and reaching for another he had brought from the library.

"Alright. As long as you're both content, I'm happy," Zuko said as he sat beside his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and holding her tight against his body.

"Is it just me or do they act like they're having baby?" Zuko whispered in her ear.

"Spirits, Zuko! Don't even say that! They're seven! I cannot bear to even imagine our baby girl pregnant!" Mai scoffed. "They're just... hatching a dragon egg… together."

"I thought we weren't supposed to talk during silent sustained reading hour?" Masaru commented, bothered by the adults' whispering.

"Sorry, Saru," Zuko replied, blushing as he loosened his grip on Mai and picking up a business journal from the pile of recent publishings.

Masaru peered over the rim of his ancient scroll to make eye contact with Izumi who smirked from behind her book.


	10. The Hunt

It was the middle of the night. Masaru slept with his hand on the egg, subconsciously bending heat into it all through the night. He and Izumi were special benders, Izumi for her fine temperature control, and Masaru for his ability to bend consciously while subconscious. He always had the dragon at night. Movement inside the egg jolted him awake. His amber eyes sprung open and he saw a crack, and fluid leaking, then the bed caught flames.

He grabbed the egg and leapt off of it. The fluid coming out of the egg was like a flammable oil from a lamp or something. "Seku!" Masaru screamed, holding onto the egg, absorbing the fluid with his clothing.

The maid on night duty rushed in and bent water from the bathroom onto the bed.

"What happened?!" Seku asked, inspecting Masaru for burns as he clutched the egg.

"It's the egg! I have to wake Zumzu!"

"Should I wake the Fire Lord and Lady?"

"No! They said the egg is OUR responsibility! Besides, the Fire Lord needs his rest. He leaves tomorrow for Ba Sing Se!" Masaru replied, running to the Princess's Room, leaving a trail of flammable fluid for the waterbending maid to clean.

"ZUMI ZUMI WAKE UP!" he yelled, jumping onto her bed with such a force that flung her into the air. .

"What? Is it handoff time already?" she asked, rubbing her eyes groggily.

"The egg is breaking!" Masaru yelled, placing it Izumi's crimson blankets.

"WHAT?!" Izumi sat up and pushed the mess of black hair out of her face. She lit a flame in her hand to see better.

"No! Don't bend near it! The fluid is extremely flammable! Even exposure to the smallest amount of heat ignites it!" he said, smothering her hand with his. He lit every torch in her room for light and then they watched as the egg kept cracking.

"Let's move it to the stone floor so it won't burn," Izumi suggested.

"Or the fireplace," Masaru offered.

"Or we can go outside," Izumi added.

"At this hour?" Masaru questioned.

"Right, probably not a good idea."

They moved to the floor and watched the egg, both folding their arms on the ground and leaning over, Masaru in a shirt and pants and Izumi in a little night gown.

Then the egg structure completely collapsed and fluid spilled out. They both slid back. Then it all caught flames and they heard crying….or… screeching, for Help. Masaru reached in first and pulled out pieces of egg shell and revealed the dragon.

"It's too hot! Grab it!" Masaru yelled, reeling back.

Izumi reached into the flames and the burning fluid and lifted out the little reptilian thing. It was slimy and burning. She extinguished the flames with her hand and stroked what she presumed was its head.

"It's not a blue spitfire!" Masaru said immediately.

"What is it?" Izumi asked.

"Something I've never seen before in ANY of the books!" Masaru replied.

"How are we supposed to know what to feed it then?"

"Even though it is not a species we've seen, it is still a dragon, so chances are it eats meat," Masaru reasoned.

They went to the kitchens immediately, but their dragon rejected all of the meats they offered to it from the freezer.

"Maybe it needs something fresh?" Izumi suggested.

"Where would we-"

"The forest outside the city?"

"NOW?!"

"Saru we HAVE to feed it! I'll go! I run faster than you, and I can bring my mother's knives!"

"You're a girl! If someone sees you, they'll kidnap you! I'll go!"

"No! I'm not going to let you have fun alone!"

"Hunting is not going to be fun, ESPECIALLY at night!"

"Then we go together!" Izumi decided firmly.

"Fine!"

They ditched the guards that escorted them to the kitchens and climbed through the vents back to their rooms. Izumi got a couple of her mother's old throwing knives that she gave to Izumi for practice, and Masaru grabbed a dagger he got for his sixth birthday and they sneaked out of the palace, running the entire way out of the city. They firebent themselves over the city walls just as the guards turned away. By the light of the moon, they found their way into the forest. Saru raised a hand to light a flame while Izumi carried the baby dragon.

"NO! You'll scare any potential game!" Izumi hissed smothering his hand as they continued to walk quietly. They stopped once they could no longer see the volcano that enclosed the capital city and waited with their backs to each other.

"My three o clock," Masaru whispered. Izumi drew three knives in her right hand with the dragon in her left. Masaru took out his dagger and they both threw their blades as hard as they could and they heard the yelp of an animal in pain. Their dragon looked up at the sound.

They both ran to inspect it. "We should cut a piece and leave," Masaru suggested, yanking his bloodied dagger out of the small beast's chest as Izumi yanked her three knives out of its neck.

"Why?" Izumi asked running the blade down the animal and tearing back the flesh.

"It's a baby dragon moose, and its mother is probably…" There was a roar. "... nearby." Masaru said nervously. Izumi slowly turned and lit her hand to come face to face with the angry beast.

"Flee to the trees! It can't fly!" Masaru said.

Izumi blasted blue fire in its face to make it back away as they both shot themselves into the trees.

"Should we just kill the mother?" Izumi asked.

"I'd rather not have to!" Masaru replied. "I'll distract the mother! You get a piece of the baby!"

"It doesn't feel right!" Izumi said, looking down at her own baby in her arms.

"It's an animal of prey, just like us! We're all born to die eventually. It is just a matter of time! Go!" Masaru yelled, jumping out of the tree and kicking a stream of fire towards the grieving mother dragon-moose.

Izumi jumped down after the two went running and dug her throwing knife into the side of the dragon and ripped off the skin as the dragon curled around her arm. She accidentally cut herself.

"Ugh!" She ripped out a lump of fat and grabbed a wooden branch and coated it in the fat then lit it like a torch so she could see. The baby dragon snorted on the exposed flesh but couldn't burn it.

"You need it cooked or something?" Izumi asked. She cut a piece of bloody meat out and barbecued it. The dragon bit but didn't like it. "Too cooked or not enough?" She asked only to get a confused look from the baby dragon.

Izumi cut another piece and cooked it less and a third and cooked it more.

The dragon went for the rarer dragon moose steak. She made an incision in the side of the animal and peeled the skin back on the top and bottom and stood up.

"Get ready to feast," Izumi said. She raised her hand at the exposed flesh and zapped it with lightning to the same cooked consistency as the steak the baby dragon had already finished.

The dragon uncurled from her arm and dove into the carcass, ravenously.

After about a minute, Izumi heard Masaru screaming.

Izumi bent down and clicked her tongue, and the dragon wrapped around her left arm again. She took her knife and sliced a rather large piece from the animal and held it in her left arm so the dragon could continue to eat while she went to find Saru. He was on the ground, his knife sunk into the neck of the beast.

Without a second of hesitation, Izumi sent lightning its way. Masaru rolled to the side as it fell where he was seconds ago. The dragon fell from Izumi's arm and raced towards the fresh corpse, but was too small to bite through the skin. Masaru yanked his dagger out of the beasts neck and sliced a bit open and the dragon dug in.

"He likes fresh meat cooked medium rare, apparently," Izumi said with a sigh, relieved to see her best friend was okay.

"Good to know," Masaru commented, panting slightly as they watched their dragon burrowing itself into the flesh of the dragon-moose.

"How much can a half pound newborn dragon eat?" Izumi asked with slight disgust.

There was the sound of a horde of eelhounds and the yelling of men.

"Why don't we take the carcass with us?"

"Where? Back to the palace?"

"No! To a hiding place! I stumbled upon a cave not far from here," Masaru suggested. Izumi nodded in agreement and they both bent down to drag the beast away when they heard the voices of the eelhound riders become clearer.

"ZUMI!"

"SARU!"

"ZUMI!"

"SARU!"

"My Lady! One of your knives!" a soldier yelled.

"They both woke up?!" Masaru gasped, turning to Izumi. They froze, petrified by fear as the light of an oil lamp turned their way. They shielded their eyes as the eelhounds drew nearer.

"Seriously?!" Zuko gasped incredulously as he appeared leading the search.

"The dragon hatched!" Izumi said with a nervous smile.

"And didn't like the meats we had in the kitchen," Masaru added hesitantly.

"And you didn't think to wake us?"

"Well, I thought you could use the rest since you're leaving tomorrow... "

"Today, actually, Saru, it is four AM!" Mai asked appearing absolutely livid atop her mount.

"Ooops."

"Do you know how far you ended up from the palace?!" Mai asked.

The two children looked up for the moon and stars which they were taught to use to navigate, but the tree cover was too thick here.

"A mile maybe?" Masaru guessed.

"The City gate is already eight miles from the palace, and the trip down the side of the volcano sixteen. How fast were you running?" Mai asked with exasperation.

"I guess… really fast?" Masaru shrugged, laughing nervously.

"We wanted to feed Eiko!" Izumi insisted, motioning to the dragon that her parents still hadn't acknowledged. The tiny reptilian creature showed its face out of the hole of the dragon-moose's neck that Masaru carved out for it.

"Eiko?" Zuko asked.

"It's what I've decided to name her," Izumi explained innocently.

Zuko ran his fingers through his hair, clearly still distressed from hearing his daughter and his ward were nowhere to be found in the castle, or the capital city.

Mai slid off her eelhound and strode over to the two children, cupping each of their faces in one of her hands to check for physical injuries. Masaru's arm looked like it got hit with one of the dragon moose's claws, and Izumi's hand was nicked by her own knife but they were otherwise unharmed.

"On a more positive note," Great Uncle Iroh said, appearing on an eelhound. "Both of your stamina is improving greatly! To run that far and still be breathing is absolutely unheard of!"

Zuko and Mai both frowned at him. "Don't encourage this behavior please," Mai asked of her in-law. "Come on, bring Eiko, we're going home," Mai said, picking up one child on each hip. She handed Masaru to Zuko and perched Izumi on her own eelhound, and they all rode back to the Palace while some of the palace guards cleaned up the two rather impressive kills.

They were greeted by Akira, Iliana, and Seku.

"They're covered in blood," Akira said, noticing the two children flanking a very displeased Fire Lady. "Why are they both covered in blood?"

"Somebody decided it would be a good idea to go hunting in the dead of night to feed their newborn dragon," Mai replied, handing them off to be cleaned and inspected.

"It finally hatched?" Iliana asked ecstatically.

"I told you!" Seku hissed.

Izumi raised her left arm and pulled back her sleeve, revealing the tiny dragon coiled around it. It burped and released smoke and steam.

"Next time you want to go on a midnight hunt, you don't have to ask, but please at least TELL US so we know where you are!" Mai growled at both children. They nodded furiously. "I'm going back to bed."

Masaru and Izumi looked down at their minor injuries and then at the dragon as they were lead to the bathroom to be bathed. They smiled. So worth it!

Masaru reached out his left hand and took Izumi's right hand as they walked. Eiko seemed to notice them connecting and wanted to join in. Eiko craned her neck over and pulled Izumi's left hand towards Izumi's right, silently asking to be closer to Masaru. Izumi moved her hands together so the dragon could loop itself halfway around each of their arms, as if binding them together in an eternal alliance.


	11. The Hunted

(Both Masaru and Izumi are 7)

 _Eiko's Development - Day 354_

 _Eiko is exactly a year old. She measures approximately two feet long and can coil my entire arm now. She can run and is starting to fly but only lasts a few seconds before tiring. Great Uncle Iroh tells us it is because she is not yet properly proportioned. She's a much less picky eater now. We go hunting on sundays and then bring the catch back to the palace where Eiko will nibble away at it whenever she's hungry for the entire next week. It's been an adventure for Saru and Me, Mother and Father, and all of the palace staff, really. We still don't know the species of dragon that Eiko is so we don't know when she will start flying long distances or breathing fire or trying to breed, but it doesn't matter. She's still wonderful to me._

"Eiko! EIKO NO! YOU CANNOT CHEW ON THE TAPESTRY!" Izumi yelled, pulling the young dragon away from the wall.

It blew smoke in her face with a grumpy little sigh.

"Don't yell at her, Zumi! She's only teething! She needs something to chew to ease the pain in her mouth," Masaru offered.

"I have an idea, wait here, and hold her," Izumi said, sprinting off to her room to get something.

"Here, Eiko, chew these," she offered, placing two objects on the ground. They looked like flat Sikh sandals but with a rather large toe box. "They're new so they shouldn't smell bad yet."

"What is it?" Masaru asked, peering over his argumentative essay to watch Eiko eagerly accept the offering.

"My new dance shoes," Izumi replied, with her arms folded across her chest, leaning her weight on her back foot.

"But… aren't they like… expensive?"

"So? They hurt when they're new and stiff. Why not let Eiko break them in for me?" Izumi asked.

"Alright," Masaru replied, leaning back, worrying for the next dance and gymnastics class Izumi had with the former acrobat and Kyoshi Warrior, Ty Lee. Masaru offered Eiko and old training sword that had been broken and when Eiko rejected it, tried covering it in fabric and she accepted. It was the trade to get Izumi's nicely chewed dance shoes back.

"Will they still work?" He asked.

She bent the sole of the shoe and inspected the fabric. There weren't too many holes in it. "Should," Izumi shrugged.

* * *

That afternoon, Masaru went to watch Izumi's dance class out of curiosity. Eiko sat across his shoulders also watching her mommy dance.

"Posture, Zumi! You're a dancer! Chin up. Smile! You MUST appear happy even if you're dying inside—" Ty Lee instructed as she performed a pass of jumps and turns across the diagonal of the floor.

"Well that's not very genuine," Masaru thought to himself as he watched. She looked amazing yes, but all those complicated movements did look incredibly difficult. She finished the routine with a perfectly centered series of at least thirty turns without putting her free leg once. Then she fell with a sickening thud.

"Oof!"

"Zumi!" Ty Lee rushed over and inspected Izumi's ankle which appeared to roll on the way down.

"It's fine," Izumi lied, wincing.

"Should I go get Akira?" Ty Lee's assistant asked.

"Yes please," Ty Lee responded, straightening and bending the girl's knee without moving her ankle. Akira rushed in and Ty Lee removed the shoe.

"Zumi, what happened to it? I thought we told you to wear the new shoes," Ty Lee asked upon closer inspection.

"I did. I only let Eiko play with them first since the stiffness hurts so much when I first put them on," Izumi explained as Akira worked on healing her ankle.

"It's just a pulled tendon. I managed to reset it to an extent, but no pointe for the rest of the week," Akira said, replacing the water in her skein.

Izumi pretended to be disappointed while Masaru hid his laugh, wondering if this was part of her original plan to let Eiko chew her shoes.

"Zumi, the stiffness in the shoes is necessary to provide you with the support you need to keep your foot straight so it doesn't tilt too much and roll your ankle like we've just seen. I know it hurts the arch and the heel a little, but it is something you need. Please find something else for your dragon baby to chew after I order you a new pair of shoes," Ty Lee asked.

"Yes, Aunt Ty Lee. I'm sorry," Izumi sighed.

"Akira, can she still do takeoffs and landings in acro and gym?"

"I'd stay away from hard impact activities. She can still do the contortion and balances maybe," Akira suggested.

"Awwwww!" Izumi groaned.

"Go stretch! I'll set up the apparatuses we'll use in the gym."

* * *

"Mother, we're going out!" Izumi called to her mother in the parlor as she and Masaru went to change into their new hunting clothes.

"Where?" Mai asked.

"The sector of the forest about twenty degrees south west of here!" Masaru answered.

"Be back before dark," the Fire Lady ordered.

"We will!"

The two children had leather boots, dark crimson pants and a shirt, and a deep brown leather shoulder and hip armor with a hard breast plate that left their stomach exposed for easy mobility and ventilation.

Masaru wore full leather gloves while Izumi wore fingerless gloves and a band of three dozen darts around each forearm and a dozen knives up her sleeves. Masaru carried a broadsword across his back, a set of Dao swords on his right hip and his dagger on his left. They were escorted to the edge of the city by carriage so they weren't seen by civilians, then they raced down the slope of the volcano with a Eiko bounding between them.

"Come on!"

"Faster, Faster!" they ran through the trees to a river in a clearing that they liked.

Eiko jumped up onto Izumi's shoulders, wondering what they were going to do that day. Swim, hike, climb, hunt?

Izumi pulled Eiko off her shoulders and bent down in the grass to face her.

"So you can puff smoke in our faces, but can you breathe fire?" Izumi asked the one year old dragon.

Izumi pointed at Masaru, who roared and blew a blast of fire from his mouth and both hands.

"Fire comes from the breath," Izumi explained.

"I can't believe we're teaching a dragon how to… be a dragon!" Masaru said.

"Well unless you find a mother dragon, we have to," Izumi replied.

The dragon ran in circle then opened its mouth and coughed up a spark with a cute little screech. Both children rolled over laughing.

They walked around talking; there they had complete privacy from their parents, teachers and servants.

They discussed their journal entries on Eiko and plans to possibly record a new species of dragon as they went. They passed through a few bushes when they saw some berries had been laid out in the center of leafy arrays.

"Traps," Izumi growled.

"Eiko, up," Masaru said, holding his hand out. Eiko jumped and curled around his arm. Izumi looked up and saw a couple of animals already hanging from traps. She firebent herself up to them and slowly lowered the cages down to set them free.

"If you're not brave enough to catch your kill yourself, you don't deserve to eat it," Izumi said to Masaru when she returned.

Masaru agreed. They hated animal traps. So many traps were forgotten in the woods that many animals starved to death before being collected. They went around the trap laden clearing and continued to explore the woods.

They reached a nice grassy meadow where Izumi taught Masaru how to cartwheel and walk on his hands while Eiko rolled around with them in the grass for a few hours.

They took the usual path back towards the capital city as the sun began to set, always slaying their catch then so it would be as fresh as possible for the week. They rounded the same tree that they always did, passed the same boulder, then there was the sound of a spring loosing.

"No!" Izumi screamed as she was yanked up into the trees by a rope net.

"Don't burn yourself out! You'll fall and get hurt!" Masaru yelled.

"I won't." Izumi replied holding onto the rope. Masaru tried to see where the trap was tied off but couldn't tell with all the foliage, then there was another snap and he too was pulled up into the tree.

"Eiko! Here!" Izumi called. The dragon flew up to her net. "We need you to get back to the palace and get Mother and father. Don't touch the ground. I know you can't fly long distances but you MUST, Eiko. Use the leaf cover and stay hidden. Go!" Izumi ordered.

The dragon jumped off the net just as the sound of an air gun rang out and a metal net flung over the one year old dragon.

"BASTARDS!" Izumi screamed.

"See Father? I told you I saw two kids with a dragon. And you didn't believe me," a young man said, reeling Eiko in by a chain.

"What shall we do with the kids?" another brother asked.

"Leave then to rot. I've no use for them,"

"What about the weaponry they wear?" the first young man asked. The father looked closer with his beady black eyes and crazed beard and hair.

"Eh, I guess we could take em back to camp," the father grumbled. "Pilfer what we can."

Eiko whimpered from her metal net.

Izumi thrust an arm though her rope net and struck one of the sons with just enough lightning to stun him unconscious. Eiko tried to free herself but the other son took up the net.

The father lifted another, smaller airgun and pointed it at Izumi and shot her with a dart and she went unconscious. Shirshu toxin.

"No!" Masaru screamed, shooting fire and lightning out of his net only to also be shot.

* * *

It was complete darkness when they woke again, chained to separate posts in a tent.

"Zumzu! Did they hurt you?"

"No."

"Did they touch you, anywhere?!"

"No," Izumi replied. "Relax. I'm fine. We just need to find Eiko!" Izumi replied.

"Well well well, so it isn't two boys after all," the father of the two young men said, entering the tent.

"Nor just two random kids," one of the dons said throwing Masaru's dagger into the dirt before him.

"Where'd you two kids come across such nice steel and armor."

"We stole it!" Masaru answered quickly.

"From who? The Fire Lord?" one of the sons asked.

"No one else in the country can afford to have forged a steel so fine," the other son said throwing some of Izumi's knives at her feet. He bent down before her and touched her face. She bit him and he slapped her.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Masaru yelled, trying to firebender the ropes off but the shirshu toxins were still in his body.

"Aww is she your girlfriend?" The other son asked.

"We'll take good care of her!" the son said, leaning forward to press his smelly head into Izumi's neck as he reached around her body to unie her wrists. Masaru thought fast. His dagger. His leg would reach. He kicked it up by the hilt then to the side, sending it spinning with a deadly accuracy, right through the space between the man's neck and Izumi's legs, slicing through half his throat while leaving her legs unscathed, just as the ropes fell away. She grabbed her three throwing knives, ducking under streams of fire and pinned the father and the other son to a support wall of the tent and fetched Masaru's dagger. She cut clean through his rope bonds as the father lit the tent on fire. They ran out anyways sustaining only minor burns while their bending was disabled only to find them in a rather massive rebel camp.

Their weaponry hung conveniently on a nearby post leading them to assume they were taken and stripped by the leader of this group. They quickly strapped everything on them and ran, Masaru drawing his broadsword from his back to leave one hand free if he needed to. Izumi drew four darts in each finger. And through the hoard that rushed to see the burning tent they sprinted, calling.

"Eiko!"

"Eiko!"

"Eiko!"

Finally they heard her screeching. She was in a cage.

"It's just some low grade steel. I can cut through it," Masaru said, sheathing his sword and drawing his dagger. "Hang on girl," he said, cutting through the lock. Eiko wrapped around his arm and shoulder. There were other animals. Masaru turned to Izumi with pleading eyes for permission to take the detour.

"Just hurry!" Izumi hissed. Soon enough the entire camp would be on their tails. Saru freed all of the other dragon hybrids, then they ran.

"Do you recognize this part of the forest?" Masaru asked.

"No, you?" Izumi replied.

"We need the stars," he said, stopping and looking up only to see more leaves.

"We need to get up," they both climbed. They were in deep in the forest. The volcano of the capital city barely a speck on the horizon.

"They'll never find us," Masaru realized.

By the phase of the moon, they'd been out a few days.

"Shit!" Izumi cursed.

"We can just start heading back, and we get there when we get there," Masaru suggested.

"I have a better idea. Hold me. Make sure I don't fall," Izumi suggested.

He wrapped an arm around her feet while his other hand held onto a branch of the tree. She stood up and generated a massive amount of lightning, the most she had ever produced and struck the sky creating a blinding bolt and a subsequent thundering boom that echoed across the entire island. She was panting. "Hopefully that got their attention," she gasped.

"But what if they weren't looking in our direction,"

"Then we'll do it again?" She said, charging up for a second bolt powerful enough to reach the sky.

The energy cracked the branch they were standing on and they fell, fortunately catching another one shortly below before tumbling all the way down.

"Should we stay up here? Or go to the ground?" Masaru asked.

"The rebels are down there and they're probably looking for the two rotten kids who killed one of their own and set free their animal inventory."

"You're right."

"Perhaps we should just wait here."

They moved a few trees closer towards the volcano in the distance and waited. Masaru tied his swords and dagger to his waist with his fabric band and then used the three leather belts combined to tether himself and Izumi around the waist to the trunk of the tree so they could sleep.

A few hours later, they woke to the sound of an airship engine hovering above. A couple of war balloons had been deployed to search the area.

"Here! We're here!" They yelled. Izumi unclipped the belt and Masaru re-looped the holsters of his blades onto each. Izumi sent up a bit of lightning as a signal to the nearest war balloon and they were pulled aboard.

"What happened?" the soldier, Mishka, asked,inspecting both of their faces and bodies quickly for any injury. They had only minor rope burns on their wrists and minor burns on the sides of their faces-that would heal easily even though it had been hours since they ran out of the flaming tent. "You two have been gone for six days! The Fire Lord and Fire Lady have been beside themselves!

"We were heading back from our meadow at sundown when some forest rebels or something caught us in nets and shot us with darts laced with shirshu poison. We spent most of the time knocked out apparently." Masaru replied.

"They wanted Eiko," Izumi explained.

Mishka's search partner signaled to the other war balloons and at least a dozen ascended out of the forest and returned to the airship. "Well I'm glad you're all safe. Let's get back home, shall we?"

"Yes," the kids said. Once on the airship, Masaru pulled out his dagger and looked at the blood on it. For the first time ever and probably not the last, he thought, it wasn't just some animal victim of the hunt. It was a fellow human's blood. He looked over at Izumi who was wrapped in a blanket and being served tea. He pulled out a rag from his pocket and wiped the blade clean and went to join her and eat.

Eiko slithered from Masaru's shoulders to Izumi's arm.

"Mister Lee," a servant said, offering Masaru tea and soup.

They both ate in silence during the ride back to the palace.

"Zumi! Saru!" Mai bent down to embrace them both.

"Glad you're both okay," Zuko said, standing above them looking relieved.

"Mother! Are you crying?" Izumi asked.

"Forgive me for being human. Just don't tell anybody!" Mai said, squeezing Izumi for just a little longer with shaking arms and visible fear on her usually stoic face.

"Mishka, your report?" Zuko asked the soldier who delivered them.

"A wayward tribesman saw their dragon one day and wanted it, so they set traps for the kids, took the dragon, and became interested in their blades. They probably were going to demand a ransom once they identified the babes, but never got that far." Mishka reported.

"Thank you for your report," Zuko responded. Mishka bowed stiffly and then dismissed himself and left the family to resume his regular duties. Zuko turned his attention to his young ward. The boy was paler than a fresh sheet of parchment right after being bleached. "How are you feeling?"

Masaru looked up with his amber eyes looking unusually dark even in the bright morning light.

"Uncle," Masaru said looking down at his feet. "I think I killed one of the tribesman. He got too close to Zumi so I aimed for his neck, and- got him before he- could do anything," Masaru said sadly. "At the time I felt I had to but now… I feel so… confused!"

"Masaru, while killing is wrong and should always be avoided at all costs, I understand why you did it," Zuko said, bending down to take his hands. "I would have done the exact same thing for my lady." He said looking at Mai. "Thank you for keeping my daughter safe this whole time, and for being her friend."

Masaru fell into Zuko's arms and started crying.

"Why don't you two stay with us tonight, okay?" Zuko suggested.

Mai personally bathed the two children and stood by while Akira tended their wounds and burns. Whenever Mai slept with her daughter, it was in Izumi's room. This was the first time ever the children saw her parents' spacious chambers.

Mai laid down on her end on the edge spooning her daughter with Saru on the other side and later, Zuko would take a place behind him.

* * *

 _A/N_

 _Yes, Masaru killed someone to protect his best friend. And yes, I am a thousand percent certain Izumi trained some form of ballet/dance/acrobatics with Ty Lee. Up next: Blue Pineappleberries_

 _Have a great weekend!_


End file.
